1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surgical instrument for simultaneous resection and aspiration of tissue.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a ligament or tendon becomes detached from the bone, surgery is usually required to resecure the ligament or tendon. Often, a substitute ligament or graft is attached to the bone to facilitate regrowth and permanent attachment. This type of surgery is particularly applicable for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Prior to grafting the substitute ligament, notchplasty is performed on the intercondylar notch to prepare the knee. In chronic ACL deficient knees, osteophytes often develop in the superior and lateral portions of the intercondylar notch and must be removed in preparation for graft placement. The exposure of the notch is facilitated by selective resection of the ACL stump and synovial tissue. It is well known to debride the remaining ACL tissue with a motorized shaver. Actual notchplasty is performed using several instruments, for example, shavers, burrs, curettes and osteomas.
The size and shape of the notchplasty is imperative for preventing graft impingement. Excessive notchplasty may cause encroachment upon the patella femoral or lateral compartment contact surfaces.
With conventional instruments, especially motorized instruments such as rotating shaver blades, extreme care must be used to avoid slippage which may cause injury to surrounding tissue. Moreover, a separate instrument must ordinarily be used to remove or flush the debrided tissue from the surgery site.